essentially

British  

/ ɪˈsɛnʃəlɪ /

adverb

1. in a fundamental or basic way; in essence

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Explanation

Notice the tie between essentially and the word "essence," referring to the very core of something. As an adverb, then, essentially refers to something's nature. In spite of your faults, you're essentially a good person. The word essentia came from the Lower Latin, referring to something's inherent qualities. If you're convinced that there's not much difference between two things, you might say that they are essentially the same. Nietzsche once made the essentially sexist comment, "Man wishes woman to be peaceable, but in fact she is essentially warlike, like the cat.”

Example Sentences

These primitive compartments were essentially tiny bubbles, where lipid membranes enclosed basic organic molecules.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

We want to flip that around and sell the call, essentially acting like a dealer who is satisfying demand from aggressive, unmoored investors who think Intel will keep rising.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Let it strain a bit longer and you’re essentially making labneh, thick and spreadable, something you can drag a piece of bread through and call a meal.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

The tech titan’s deal with the Defense Department essentially allows AI to be used in all lawful scenarios, a person familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Most woodwinds can get two different octaves with essentially the same fingering; the lower octave is the fundamental of the column of air inside the instrument at that fingering.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• actually
• approximately
• necessarily
• originally
• permanently
• quite
• really
• substantially
• truly
• typically
• virtually